(Press-News.org) Contact information: Eileen Leahy
andjrnlmedia@elsevier.com
732-238-3628
Elsevier Health Sciences
I'll have what they're having: Study finds social norms influence food choices
According to report published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Philadelphia, PA, December 30, 2013 – Is obesity a socially transmitted disease? In order to try to find out, researchers in the United Kingdom conducted a systematic review of several experimental studies, each of which examined whether or not providing information about other peoples' eating habits influences food intake or choices. Their results are published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
The review looked at a total of fifteen studies from eleven publications. Eight of the studies examined how information about food intake norms influenced food consumed by participants. Seven other studies reported the effects of food choice norms on how people decide what food to eat. After examining the data, investigators found consistent evidence that social norms influence food.
This meta-analysis found that if participants were given information indicating that others were making low-calorie or high-calorie food choices, it significantly increased the likelihood that participants made similar choices. Also, data indicate that social norms influence the quantity of food eaten. Additionally, the review indicated that suggesting that others eat large portions increased food intake by the participants. There was also a strong association between eating and social identity.
"It appears that in some contexts, conforming to informational eating norms may be a way of reinforcing identity to a social group, which is in line with social identity theory," explains lead investigator Eric Robinson, PhD, of the University of Liverpool. "By this social identity account, if a person's sense of self is strongly guided by their identity as a member of their local community and that community is perceived to eat healthily, then that person would be hypothesized to eat healthily in order to maintain a consistent sense of social identity."
The need to solidify our place in our social group is just one way investigators found social norms influence our food choices. The analysis also revealed that the social mechanisms that influence what we decide to consume are present even when we eat alone or are at work, whether or not we are aware of it.
"Norms influence behavior by altering the extent to which an individual perceives the behavior in question to be beneficial to them. Human behavior can be guided by a perceived group norm, even when people have little or no motivation to please other people," says Dr. Robinson. "Given that in some studies the participants did not believe that their behavior was influenced by the informational eating norms, it seems that participants may not have been consciously considering the norm information when making food choices."
Investigators caution that more research is needed, but that these types of studies can help us understand the way people make decisions about food consumption and can help shape public policy and messaging about healthy choices.
"The evidence reviewed here is consistent with the idea that eating behaviors can be transmitted socially," remarks Dr. Robinson. "Taking these points into consideration, the findings of the present review may have implications for the development of more effective public health campaigns to promote 'healthy eating.' Policies or messages that normalize healthy eating habits or reduce the prevalence of beliefs that lots of people eat unhealthily may have beneficial effects on public health."
### END
I'll have what they're having: Study finds social norms influence food choices
According to report published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
2013-12-30
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Slower-paced meal reduces hunger but affects calorie consumption differently
2013-12-30
Slower-paced meal reduces hunger but affects calorie consumption differently
According to new study of normal-weight and overweight or obese individuals published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Philadelphia, PA, December 30, 2013 ...
The secret to fewer doctor office visits after 70 -- play high school sports
2013-12-30
The secret to fewer doctor office visits after 70 -- play high school sports
Fit in 50 years: participation in high school sports best predicts one's physical activity after age 70
Seventy year olds who don't frequently visit the doctor have something unexpected ...
NASA's TRMM satellite sees new Tropical Depression forming near Australia's Kimberly coast
2013-12-28
NASA's TRMM satellite sees new Tropical Depression forming near Australia's Kimberly coast
Low pressure System 98S appears ripe to form into Tropical Cyclone 05S as NASA satellite imagery is showing some hot towering clouds in the storm and heaviest rains south of ...
New study: High mortality in Central Southern states most likely due to smoking
2013-12-27
New study: High mortality in Central Southern states most likely due to smoking
'Geographic divergence in mortality in the United States,' by Andrew Fenelon
NEW YORK (26 December 2013) — Between 1965 and 2004, the distribution of states with the highest mortality ...
How does Rho-associated protein kinase modulate neurite extension?
2013-12-27
How does Rho-associated protein kinase modulate neurite extension?
Rho-associated protein kinase is an essential regulator of cytoskeletal dynamics during the process of neurite extension. However, whether Rho kinase regulates microtubule remodeling or the distribution ...
Normobaric oxygen preconditioning for cerebral ischemic injury
2013-12-27
Normobaric oxygen preconditioning for cerebral ischemic injury
Normobaric oxygen has the rapid and non-invasive characteristics and may have therapeutic effects on ischemic/hypoxic disease. Dr. Chunhua Chen and colleagues from Peking University, China found ...
Chitosan conduits combined with NGF microspheres repair facial nerve defects
2013-12-27
Chitosan conduits combined with NGF microspheres repair facial nerve defects
The chitosan molecule can promote nerve cell adherence and growth along the surface of the material. It can enhance the adherence and influx of Schwann cells, thus encouraging the growth ...
Finnish research to revolutionise indications for knee surgery
2013-12-27
Finnish research to revolutionise indications for knee surgery
The Finnish Degenerative Meniscal Lesion Study (FIDELITY) compared surgical treatment of degenerative meniscal tears to placebo surgery. A year after the procedure the study participants, ...
Surgery vs. non-invasive treatment -- Which is better for herniated discs?
2013-12-27
Surgery vs. non-invasive treatment -- Which is better for herniated discs?
8 year results from SPORT study show better long-term outcomes with surgery
Philadelphia, Pa. (December 27, 2013) - For patients with herniated discs in the lower (lumbar) spine, ...
Stroke researchers report improvement in spatial neglect with prism adaptation therapy
2013-12-27
Stroke researchers report improvement in spatial neglect with prism adaptation therapy
Benefits shown in subset of patients with spatial neglect following right brain stroke. Findings support behavioral classification and early intervention
West Orange, NJ. ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Less intensive works best for agricultural soil
Arctic rivers project receives “national champion” designation from frontiers foundation
Computational biology paves the way for new ALS tests
Study offers new hope for babies born with opioid withdrawal syndrome
UT, Volkswagen Group of America celebrate research partnership
New Medicare program could dramatically improve affordability for cancer drugs – if patients enroll
Are ‘zombie’ skin cells harmful or helpful? The answer may be in their shapes
University of Cincinnati Cancer Center presents research at AACR 2025
Head and neck, breast, lung and survivorship studies headline Dana-Farber research at AACR Annual Meeting 2025
AACR: Researchers share promising results from MD Anderson clinical trials
New research explains why our waistlines expand in middle age
Advancements in muon detection: Taishan Antineutrino Observatory's innovative top veto tracker
Chips off the old block
Microvascular decompression combined with nerve combing for atypical trigeminal neuralgia
Cutting the complexity from digital carpentry
Lung immune cell type “quietly” controls inflammation in COVID-19
Fiscal impact of expanded Medicare coverage for GLP-1 receptor agonists to treat obesity
State and sociodemographic trends in US cigarette smoking with future projections
Young adults drive historic decline in smoking
NFCR congratulates Dr. Robert C. Bast, Jr. on receiving the AACR-Daniel D. Von Hoff Award for Outstanding Contributions to Education and Training in Cancer Research
Chimpanzee stem cells offer new insights into early embryonic development
This injected protein-like polymer helps tissues heal after a heart attack
FlexTech inaugural issue launches, pioneering interdisciplinary innovation in flexible technology
In Down syndrome mice, 40Hz light and sound improve cognition, neurogenesis, connectivity
Methyl eugenol: potential to inhibit oxidative stress, address related diseases, and its toxicological effects
A vascularized multilayer chip reveals shear stress-induced angiogenesis in diverse fluid conditions
AI helps unravel a cause of Alzheimer's disease and identify a therapeutic candidate
Coalition of Autism Scientists critiques US Department of Health and Human Services Autism Research Initiative
Structure dictates effectiveness, safety in nanomedicine
Mission accomplished for the “T2T” Hong Kong Bauhinia Genome Project
[Press-News.org] I'll have what they're having: Study finds social norms influence food choicesAccording to report published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics